


Tick-tock

by DGshoe



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Angst, Angst?, Gen, Player realized shit's going down, and he still has to warn Carmen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGshoe/pseuds/DGshoe
Summary: Player never expect to see a VILE operative up close in his life. And not in these circumstances
Comments: 47
Kudos: 157
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	Tick-tock

**Author's Note:**

> I really should plan to write more than 500 word short stories.
> 
> I'm also trying out using "—" when characters speak, 'cuz IRL stuff demands it and I've gotta train.

Aiden was used to his parents calling some adult to keep an eye on him in the rare occasions in which both their jobs required them to stay away from home at the same time. Of course, that made it slightly more difficult to keep his connection with Carmen Sandiego a secret; but there hasn't been a word about the Scarlet Shadow in the news ever since her debut so it's incredibly easy for Player to pretend he's just playing some RPG game and convince Aiden's caretaker to leave him be for the next few hours.

Welp, that kind of strategy can be thrown out the window now.

When the young man with dyed silver hair walked into the apartment he and his parents lived at; the first thing that Aiden's mind did was freeze and slowly process the fact that his mother was introducing _El Topo_ to his father, as her co-worker. When his brain was done rebooting in Caper Mode, Player did the only thing he could in that scenario:

— I'm so fucked — he whispered.

* * *

Player has been alone with El Topo for thirty minutes already and he said nothing about Carmen or VILE, and he didn't attack Player either. That didn't mean he could relax and let his guard down, though. El Topo might not know about Aiden's link to Carmen, but he still had business in Niagara Falls and Player was going to find out what it was.

— So, umm… Antonio, right? How did you know mom? — Player started, it was as good a place to do so as any.

— We're co-workers, actually. She has more experience than me in our line of work, so I take some advice from her sometimes — El Topo said, and Player felt a lump form in his throat.

— Actually, mom never really told me in detail about what she does. It's an import-export company, right?

— Yes. Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports — Player noticed how visibly nervous El Topo was when directly talking about VILE. And that's not far from Player's own better concealed discomfort at the confirmation that his own mother worked for the organization he and the rest of Carmen's team were trying to take down.

Oh, no. Was this Dexter Wolfe all over again? Player shuddered at the morbid thought.

They sat in awkward silence while the TV played some random commercial, until El Topo offered to bake some cookies. That gave Player time to make a mad scram to his parents' bedroom and turn it upside-down looking for something that could give him more information about his mother, but turned up nothing. He was about to leave the room when an even more disturbing realization dawned on him:

His father might have also been keeping secrets.

Slowly, Player opened the drawers where his father's clothes were kept, carefully rummaging through everything when he noticed the false bottom. Player swallowed.

It was hard to take it off, but Player managed. Inside were three things: a suit, a card and a pen. Engraved in the pen was a symbol that he was sure to have been copyrighted to hell and back that almost seemed like an eye innocently looking at Player, as if asking who he was. It was ACME's logo.

Player sat on the bed, laughing humorlessly. His family was a time bomb, and now that it exploded hell would break loose.

**Author's Note:**

> Typos, mistakes, ideas, and incoherent screaming are welcome in the comments!


End file.
